Hair-drying apparatus



' Feb. 18, 1930. H. P. ADAMS 1,747,342

HAIR DRYING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 15, 1929 if TOY/wi y Patented Feb. 18, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HARRY P. ADAMS, 0F .BALBOA, CALIFORNIA HAIR-DRYER} APPARATUS Application filed January 15, 1929. Serial No. 832,856.

My invention relates to drying appliances, and more particularly to devices for drying the hair on the head.

The operation has been a very lengthy one prior to my invention because it has een the practice to discharge the drying medium into contact with the surface of the hair. The hair in its wet state, being cohesive, prevents the penetration of the drying medium, so that the air dischar ed against the surface of the hair exerts the dryingefiect upon that surface and passes of]? without penetrating to or exerting a drying effect upon the hair beneath the surface and adjacent to the scalp. As the outer surface of the hair is dried the air is permitted to penetrate to a slightly greater extent, and it has been necessary prior to my invention to continue the drying operation until sufiicient of the hair has been dried to permit the air to come into contact with the scalp.

It is an ob'ect of my invention to provide a method of rying hair which comprises the discharge of a drying medium into contact with the scalp.

It is desirable that after the drying medium in the form of warm dry air is dischar ed into contact with the scalp it should pass t rough and circulate around the hair.

It is an object of my invention to provide a method of drying hair which comprises the discharge of warm dry air into contact with the scalp and the circulation of this air through and around the hair.

It is desirable that the apparatus for putting into operation this method of drying hair should be one which will not subject the individual whose hair is being dried to pain or discomfort.

It is an object of my invention to provide a hair drying apparatus adapted for discharg ing warm dry air into contact with the scalp and circulating this air through and around the hair. It is a further object of my invention to provide such an apparatus which will not subject the individual whose hair is bein dried to pain or physical discomfort;

The drying effect of the air employed in the hair drying operation is materially increased if that air is heated to' a temperature somewhat above that of normal body temperature; however, if such a heating means is employed it is obviously desirable that the temperature of the air trolled in 0 fort to the dried cause tures.

provide an which should be easil conrder to avoid danger of discomindividual whose hair is being (1 by excessively. high tempera- It is another object of my invention to apparatus of the class described includes heating means ada ted for warming the air employed in the drylng operation and adapted for quick and easyconthat there should be removed from the air any solid impurities therein, such as dirt,

grit, etc.

It is still another object of my invention to I provide an apparatus of the class described which includes means adapted for lowering the moisture content and removin purities from the air used in t process.

solid ime drying It is another object of my invention to pro vide an apparatus of the class described which includes means for varying the rate of discharge of the air into contact with the scalp and hair.

It is a further object of my invention to provide an is rugged and economical 1n construcwhich t1on and simple and Further apparatus of the class described (positive in operation.

objects an advantages'will be made evident in the following description which may be better understood by reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is the and a view, partly diagrammatic ofapparatus of my invention in operation;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view of the surface of the inner wall of the helmet of my invention adapted .to contact the head of the individual whose hair is to be dried.

Referring to the drawings and particularly to Fig. includes a upon the h 1, the apparatus of my invention cap or helmet 11 adapted to fit cad 12 of the individual whose trol means in the form of a heating means 16.

a in turn is separated by another 2 hair is to be dried, and to cover the entire scalp. The helmet 11 includes an outer memher or wall 13 and an inner member or wall 14 with a passage or chamber 15 therebetween.

Attached to the top of the outer The heatin means 16 includes a container attached to; the outer wall13ofthe,helmet11 so that the interior of the container 17 communicates with the passage or chamber. 15. .The heating means 16 includes also anend 19 associated with the side Walls 18' and forming the top of the containef17. Attached to the end 19 in such a manner as to communicate with the interior of the container 17 is a-p 1pe 20 adapted for supplying air to the heating means 16. A downwardly depend1ng cu p-. shaped bafile 21 having openings 22 1n its sides may be attached to the inner surface of the end 19 to cause the air supplied through, the pipe 20 to circulate in the container 17.

Disposed in the container 17 1s a heating element 23 which may be in the form of a conical core 24 of any suitable non-conductivematerial with coils 25 formed of conductors of a high resistance wound thereon. The coils 25 may be connected to-a source of electrical energy 26 as by wires 27 led through the side walls 18 and into the container 17 through conduits 28.

An additional safeguard against energization of the helmet 13 may be provided by suitably insulating the conduits 28 from the side wall of the container 17 as indicated by the numeral 29 in Fig. 1. The heating effect of the coils 25 is readily controlled by a cona rheostat 30 connected to one of the wires 27 between the source of power 26 and the heating element 23 in amanner well known in the art.

The pipe 20 is connected by a flexible hose 31 to a valve 32 communicating with the interior of a drying means 33. The drying means 33 includes a cylindrical tank 34 comprising a side wall 35 and top and bottom ends 36 and 37 respectively. The tank 34 may be filled with any suitable drying and cleaning medium.

I have found a very successful medium to be that illustrated in the drawings comprising a layer 38 of relatively coarse particles of coke in the bottom of the tank 34 se arated by a layer 39 of long-fibre cotton rom a layer 40 of coke-of smaller particles, which layer 41 of long-fibre cotton from a layer 42 of very fine particles of coke, the layer 42 being uppermost in the tank 34. A copper screen 43 may be positioned between adjoining layers and at the top and bottom of the layers 42 and 38 respectively to retain the drying and cleaning medium in in the proper relative positions tank 34. A pressure gauge 44 may be associated with the tank 34 to indicate the pressure therein, and a safety valve 45 may wall 13 is 17 having si e walls 18 likewise be connected with the interior of the tanl]; 34 to prevent excessive pressure in the tan Attached to the bottom 37 of the tank 34 is a pipe 46 adapted to connect the interior of thetank 34 to the interior of a. compressed airv tank 47. The'pipe 46 may be provided with a valve means in the form of a valve 48 between the cleaning and drying means 33 and the tank 47 to regulate the flow of gas to the tank 34..

The compressed air tank 47 may be of a con- .ventionaldesignand preferably adapted to contain gas at a pressure up to approximately 170 pounds per-square inch.' The tank 47 may be provided with a pipe 49 communicating with the interior of the bottom of said tank to lead out any liquid condensed therein. The pipe 49 may be provided with a valve 50 adapted to regulate the flow of liquids through the pipe.

The inner wall 14 [of the helmet 11 has formedthereon inwardly extending projections or discharge nozzles 51 asbest ndicated in Fig. 2. Formed in each of the projections 51 is a passage or an orifice 52 extending through the inner wall 14 and communicating with the passage or'chamber 15.

1 The operation of my invention is as folows:

12 of the individual whose hair is to 'be dried, as indicated in Fig. 1, so that it covers all of the scalp of the head 12. If the valve 48 is now opened, compressed air from the tank 47 is admitted to the lower end of the tank 34 of the cleaning and drying means 33 and is forced upwardly therein through the alternate layers of'coke andcotton to the upper end of the container 34.

If the valve 32 is opened, the compressed air is forced from the container 34. through the hose 31 into the ipe 20. Air passes from the pipe 20 into the attic 21 in the upper end of the container 17 and is discharged from the baffle 21 through the openings 22 therein in such a manner as to cause its circulation in the container 17 about the-coils 25 of the heating element 23. Y i

The air thus cleaned. and dried by the cleaning and drying means 33 and warmed by the heating means 16 is forced into'the passage or chamber 15 of the helmet 11. The .clean, dry, warmed air is forced from the passage or chamber 15 through the orifices-.52 in the projections 51. The helmet 11 having been positioned upon the head 12 so that the projections 51 extend through the hair into contact with the scalp, the air thus discharged through the orifices 52 comes into contact with the scalp immediately after its discharge and passes from the scalp outward through the hair. Inasmuch as there are a reat number of the projections 51 and orices 52 closely spaced on the inner wall 14 of the helmet 11, the scalp is subjected to the drying effect of a great number of these jets of air simultaneously.

After the air has contacted the seal and assed outward therefrom, circu ating t rough the hair, itpasses between the hair and the helmet 11 to the edges of the walls 13 method of drying hair which comprises a discharge of warm dried air'into contact with the scalp and the circulation of this air through and around the hair.

' Inasmuch as the helmet 11 and the heating means 16 may be made of light metal or any other suitable material so that it does not exart upon the head of the individual suflicient pressure to render the operation of drying hair a painful one, or if it be desired-the apparatus can be supported so that no weight at all rests upon the head, it is obvious that I have provided an apparatus for discharging warm dry air into contact with the scalp and circulating this air through and around the a hair, which apparatus will not subject the individual whose hair is being dried to pain or physical discomfort. Moreover, by pro viding the rheostat 30 I have provided a means for quick and easy control by the operator of the heatin element adapted to. warm the air employed ation.

Because the flow of air to the cleanin A anddrying means and from the cleaning an drylng means to the heating means is easilycontrolled as by the valves 48 and 32 respectively, it should be apparent that I have provided an apparatus of the class described .dry air for the drying operation at any pressure which may be desired.

Although that form of embodiment of my invention herein illustrated and described is bv said discharged gas first engages the scalp.

fully capable of performing, all of the objects primarily stated, I do not wish to be restricted to this form, for my invention is capable of embodiment in various other forms all comingwithin the scopeof the claims to I follow. I

I claim as m invention:

;1. A metho of drying hair comprising the discharge of a drying medium into immediate contact with the scalp whereby said discharged medium first engages the scalp and then flows outwardly throu h the hair.

. 2. A method of drying air .comprising the expansion of warm dry gas into immediflows outwardly through the hair.

3. A method of dry ng hair comprising: heating a drygas; expanding said gas into immediate contact with the scalp; and circulating said gas from the scalp outwardly throu h the hair.

4.. n a hair drying apparatus, the combination of: a helmet adapted to fit the head,

through the hair. a

5. In a hair drying apparatus the combination of: a helmet adapted to fit the head, said helmet being providedmrith a passage therein; supplying meansadaptedfor pro-. 1

passage; warming means adapted for-warming sa1d gas; and means the scalp whereby said discharged gas first engages the scalp and then flows outwardly through the hair.

6 In a hair drying apparatus the combia passage therebetween; supplying means associated with said cap, said supplying means being adapted for providing gas to sa1d passage; heating means adapted for raising the temperature of said gas; and

wall of said cap and adapted for-discharging gas fromsaid passage in said cap into immediate contact with the scalp whereby said discharged gas first engages the scalp and then flows outwardly through the hair.

7. In a hair drying apparatus the combination of; a helmet comprising an inner and sa1d outer wall being adapted to be associated with a means for supplying gas to said chamber, and said inner wall being so formed and then flows outwardly through the hair.

8 Irv-a hair drying apparatus the combinat on of: a helmet comprising an inner and an outerswall with a chamber therebetween, said inner wall charge said gas mediate contact means associated with helmet and communicatin with said chamher, said heatin means eing adapted for warming gas an supplyingit to sa1d chamfrom said chamber into imw1th the scalp a heatin the outer'wall of sai her; and means for providing gas to said I heating means.

In testimon whereof, I have hereunto set mi hand at 0s Angeles, California, this 9t day of January, 1929.

HARRY P. ADAMS,

being so formed as to dis- 

